Meet Matthew Tejada, the New EJ Director for the EPA

Matthew S. Tejada, PhD

Matthew S. Tejada joined the EPA in March of 2013 as  Director of the Office of Environmental Justice within the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. As Director, Matthew leads the Office of Environmental Justice staff in working with other EPA divisions, federal agencies, state, local and tribal partners and communities to further the mission of the EPA and the goals of the Office of Environmental Justice.

Matthew joined the EPA after spending over five years in the non-profit world as executive director of the environmental advocacy Air Alliance Houston, where he focused his efforts on region-wide ozone reduction policies, alleviation of toxic and particulate matter hotspots and grassroots level work with the many environmental justice communities along the Texas Gulf Coast. In this position, Matthew was also  centrally involved in local, state and federal level legislative and policy formation as regards environmental and public health issues. Matthew received his Doctorate and Master’s degrees from the University of Oxford where he was a member of St. Antony’s College. His research and dissertations largely focused on environmental and energy policy, international relations, politics and the role of civil society. Prior to his graduate education, Matthew served two years in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria as a high school teacher of English as a foreign language. Matthew is a native of Ft. Worth, Texas.